Let Her Go
by askforgardenia
Summary: Inspired by songs sung in Disney's Frozen. After Quinn finally admits and accepts her repressed feelings for Rachel in order to let them and the other girl go, Rachel realises that she is the one that can't let the always so cold and elusive blonde leave. One-shot.


It had been one week. One week of unanswered and most likely unread emails. One week of response-less texts. One week of dead end calls and the same repetitive voice mail message playing over and over again. One week since Quinn begrudgingly admitted her feelings for Rachel at the WMHS class of 2012's first reunion, only a year after their graduation.

Rachel had taken her time processing the blonde's words; too much time. It was a lot to take in. Quinn, _Quinn Fabray_, had told her she loved her. Told her that she had loved her since she had first laid eyes on her their freshman year. Told her that this unvoiced and unrequited love was killing her inside, and that she had to admit it to her if she had any chance of letting it go. Of letting _her _go.

Rachel was awestruck and dumbfounded at the confession and profession, and for the first time in her life finding that she truly was speechless.

It wasn't until she got back to New York days later and opened her empty email inbox that she had realised how much she had truly missed Quinn, and exactly what her inaction had lost her. Tears rising in her eyes, she scrunched her lids closed and shook her head as the reality of it all hit her. Quinn had finally been honest about her feelings and she had just stood there. She had _stood_ there, not even giving Quinn the respect or relief of a response. At that moment she had snatched her phone up and immediately dialled the blonde's number, and for the first time in forever, her call had been left unanswered. After many seemingly futile attempts, she had decided to say what she should have at the reunion. To _do_ what she should have done_ long_ ago.

Finally, ignoring Quinn's obvious freezing out and utilising her metro north pass, Rachel hopped on the next train out of New York and toward New Haven. Stepping off of the platform, Rachel hailed the nearest taxi and gave him her destination; Yale university. Stepping onto the campus and drinking in the beauty of it's historic and imposing architecture, she made her way to the head office as she voiced her inquiries with the staff there and with some other freshmen. After getting directions, she made her way to a large timber dorm door. Hesitantly, she raised her fist upon it's surface before taking a calming breath and knocking softly. The sound reverberated around the empty halls before soft shuffling could be heard from the other side of it… And then silence.

* * *

Lowering her modest reading glasses down the bridge of her nose before sliding them up and onto her head, Quinn looked away from her book and glanced at her watch face. She frowned at the late night hour and even more at the unexpected visitor's knocking.

Placing the books aside, she stood from her bed and padded over to the peep hole in her door before rubbing her tired hazel eyes with the ball of her wrist. As she leaned in to see who was on the other side, she quickly slapped her hand over her mouth to stop the gasp that was threatening to jump out of her throat from making itself heard.

"Quinn, please, I know you're in there. People have been asking me where you've been," Rachel's sweet serene and only slightly muffled voice traveled through the surface. "They say have courage, and I'm trying to. I'm right out here for you, just let me in!"  
Quinn's movements faltered and halted, as did her heart beat. She must have been imagining things because no way was...  
"Please don't shut me out again, please don't lock the door. You don't have to keep your distance anymore..." Rachel rested her head forward on the sturdy chestnut door as she reined in her courage and willed her heart to stop beating so erratically before continuing. "'Cause for the first time in forever, I finally understand. For the first time in forever, we can deal with this hand in hand..."  
Quinn's hand was frozen atop the door knob, her body rigid with the knowledge that the woman that she had harboured deep and seemingly unrequited feelings for her whole high school life was less than a metre away. Anchoring her shaky legs by bringing her left hand up to palm the door, Quinn ducked her head down and leaned her forehead against the hard surface. Exhaling heavily, she screwed her eyes shut as she bluntly bit her next words out.

"Go away Rachel."

"No, we can head down this mountain together, you don't have to live in fear," Rachel pleaded as her right palm also pressed against the wooden barrier, fingers splayed and spreading out unknowingly in the same position as Quinn's had, mirroring the other girl behind the door. Quinn sighed as she gripped the knob tighter. She had never heard the always loud and outspoken brunette sound so small and..._desperate_.  
Rachel swallowed roughly as her mouth dried and her words died around her, still lacking any type of welcoming response. Her fear of rejection at her advance, penetrating her thoughts and weakening her resolve. With trembling lips and quivering breaths, she spoke with tears escaping the clutches of her long dark lashes. Rachel's voice cracked of it's volition, "'cause for the first time in forever, I will be right here," she croaked as her left hand hovered over her chest.  
Quinn bit her lip as Rachel's broken tone crumbled her walls of indifference, raising tears in her own eyes. _Conceal, don't feel, don't let it show…_

Slowly, she rotated the handle in her hand, the satisfying clicking of it's unlocking sounding like music to Rachel's ears.  
Sure footing herself, Quinn swung the door open to reveal the overwhelmingly thankful form of the short brunette before her.  
"Rachel, please go back home, it's really late," Quinn tried to deadpan, but her attempts were futile as deep brown eyes gazed up imploringly at her, wracking her breathing and lacing her voice with a lilt of sadness. "Go enjoy New York. Your life, NYADA and your future awaits."  
"But-"  
"I know, you mean well, but leave me be. Yes I'm alone, but I'm alone and free. Just, stay away and you'll be happy without me-"  
The swift stepping of Rachel's right foot ceased the doors closing instantly as the smaller girl pushed herself into the frame and back into Quinn's life, demanding her time and attention.  
"For the first time in forever, you don't have to be afraid," Rachel began as she forced herself further into Quinn's quaint and dainty room. Quinn realised there was no stopping Rachel. There never was.  
_I'm such a fool, I can't be free… There's no escape from the feelings she brings out in me._ Turning away from Rachel, Quinn lifted her gaze up to the ceiling and rapidly blinked away the tears creeping up in her glistening eyes. Rachel knew this would be difficult. She knew that for five years Quinn assumed that all of her feelings for her would be unwelcome, unwanted and, most importantly, unreciprocated. She had to let her know that they weren't then, and that they aren't now.  
"We can work this out together-"  
"I can't!" Quinn rasped out as Rachel's presence and closeness really dawned on her. She couldn't face the other girl again. She couldn't _bare_ to have all of her repressed yet uncontrollable feelings for her stop Rachel from being happy; happy with someone that could offer things Quinn never could. Someone that could be there for her and with her in New York. She wouldn't hold her back from her dreams. She never had and never wanted to.

"I'm just trying to protect you!"

"You don't have to protect me, I'm not afraid!" Rachel declared firmly with unshakable conviction.  
The tension in the room thickened as silence fell around them, the only audible sound reaching each girls' ears being the other girls' shallowed breathing.  
_No, I'm not giving up on this. I'm not letting her shut the world out. Shut me out. Not again. Never again._  
Straightening her posture, Rachel stood determinedly as she squared her shoulders, kicking the door closed with her foot behind her and closing the small gap remaining between herself and Quinn's turned back.  
Rachel's body heat warmed Quinn's back, and the absence of any retreat on Quinn's part allowed the brunette to release a breath she hadn't realised she had been holding. Soft tanned hands cradled Quinn's hips and the brunette's warm front pressed flush against her. Her hairs stood on end as Rachel's nose brushed her neck before lips caressed the shell of her ear. Quinn's eyelids fluttered shut as Rachel's voice, deepened with assuredness and confidence.  
"No Quinn, I can't be happy without you, because being with you is what _makes_ me happy."

The blonde shuddered in Rachel's arms, tensing at the words. Rachel tightened her hold on Quinn's waist, fearing that the other girl may regress by fleeing again and never truly confronting Rachel, or their shared feelings for each other again.

_Conceal, don't feel._ _Don't feel!_

"Please, let it go Quinn, let it go."

Rachel's body flooded with relief as Quinn's muscles relaxed into her, their bodies melting and melding together perfectly. Content in the embrace, Rachel sighed before Quinn spun around and connected their eyes for the first time since the reunion. Brown and Hazel swirled together and got lost in each other before both focused on pink lips that then crashed together relentlessly. Cupping rosy red cheeks within her palms, Quinn moved her lips slowly and deliberately, every brush bringing about faster heart beats and greater need. Licking Rachel's bottom lip, the brunette opened her mouth wider in eagerness, allowing Quinn's to deepen the kiss. Her tongue felt the moistness and taste of the other girl's and they glided smoothly over each other, eliciting wanton gasps and moans. Rachel's hands moved to the bottom of Quinn's hoodie before snaking themselves under it and running her fingers over her toned abdomen. Quinn pressed their lips more harshly together as she fisted and forcefully pulled long silky brown locks firmer in her grasp as she walked Rachel backwards towards her bed. With the backs of her knees hitting the bed's edge, Rachel pulled Quinn down on top of it and her, before biting down hungrily on the blonde's now bruising lower lip.  
Quinn winced in both pain and pleasure and she grabbed the backs of Rachel's thighs and lifted her petite form up and further onto the bed, giggling as her thick textbook stuck out from behind Rachel's head. Throwing it onto the floor without a care for it's expense, Quinn smiled into the kiss as Rachel laughed and tugged at the hem of Quinn's jumper again, pouting adorably before Quinn smirked in reply and relented, removing the top and revealing a baby blue lace bra. Feeling herself grow warm with a hot flush sinking down throughout her body, Rachel bit her cheek before Quinn dragged herself over Rachel's torso, straddling her in her grey track pants before looking down to the black pleated skirt underneath her.

Following her gaze, Rachel gulped nervously as Quinn traced her supple fingertips over the hem, before gliding them around to the zip before looking back up for unspoken permission which Rachel nodded vigorously.

Seeing how worked up Rachel had become, Quinn teasingly took her time undoing the zip before slowly, slowly, sliding the material down Rachel's long smooth legs and taking it off, along with her socks and shoes, leaving Rachel a shivering, almost half-naked mess beneath her.

"Are you cold?" Quinn asked worriedly at seeing goose-bumps forming on Rachel's skin, before caressing the skin in question soothingly, making Rachel shiver with not cold but anticipation.

"The cold never bothered me anyway," Rachel replied in a cheeky breath as she lifted her torso up, removing her top and tossing it carelessly onto the ground, landing atop of Quinn's discarded books.

Quinn chuckled before letting her eyes rake in the breathtaking sight of Rachel's bare and flawless form, before Rachel met her eyes once more and reached around the blonde's body to touch the clasp of her bra, but not unlatching it until Quinn licked her lips and smiled her consent. Not giving it a second thought, Rachel flung it aside before reaching around Quinn's neck and pulling her down more heavily on top of her, forcing their naked chests together and really _feeling_ how much they wanted this. How much they wanted _each other_.

Their hot breaths mixed together as their legs tangled, hands running over any expanse of skin they could find. Rachel gasped as Quinn's mouth moved south, down her throat and throbbing pulse point before causing her to throw her head back as wet lips teased past the valley of her breasts. Quinn loved the effect her kisses were having on the usually so controlling and demanding diva, seeing the girl give up all control under the persuasion of her lips.

Feeling taunting teeth nip at her hip bone, Rachel groaned impatiently before pulling Quinn back up and rolling her over and onto her back, taking over command of her role at the perch of her hips.

Stunned at the bold motion and turn of events, Quinn gasped as Rachel greedily tugged at her track pants before huskily demanding Quinn to take them off.

Nodding her acquiescence, Quinn lifted her hips up as they skated down her thighs and calves before being blindly thrown away behind Rachel's head, landing on the lamp on her desk and sending the room into dimmer and softer lighting.

Without their clothing between them, the heat that both of them emitted between their legs made itself more pronounced. Quinn locked her gaze with Rachel's before Rachel slid her thigh higher up between Quinn's, placing pressure on the unmistakable wetness found there.

A strangled moan escaped her lips as Rachel intertwined their fingers together on the pillow beside the blonde's head before Quinn turned to the side and kissed olive fingers tenderly.

"Never let me go again."

Rachel lowered her forehead down to rest against Quinn's before tightening her grasp of the fairer hand within her own. "Never shut me out again."

They sealed their promise with a kiss; one of many _many _more to come after that…


End file.
